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Dancing

“Unfortunately, and I hate to say this, but in this industry looks are very important…” said the lady.

I had just finished auditioning for a dancing gig at one of the hottest entertainment companies out there. I stood there and listened, live, as the hiring manager gave me the same feedback she gave all the other girls who danced before me. She was sweet and honest, so I had no reason not to smile in the name of honesty. I nodded in agreement, making sure she understood that I understood how this business works. After all, I’ve done this many times before. I just wanted to share this one with you all.

Not sure if I mention it anywhere on my blog, but I’m a born-dancer. I love dancing. Never went to school for it, but give me a beat and I’ll dance my ass off like a pro! (Ahem, self-promotion.) However, regardless of my skills, it is hard to get in the industry if “professional” training never happened.

I’m a freelancer with a short resume trying to get back in the game. The only kind of dancing I can get into without a big portfolio, it seems, is go-go dancing (club dancing), which I’m totally okay with. The problem is that the majority of entertainment companies are hiring girls based solely on the “eye-candy” bullshit. And to meet that standard girls must have breasts the size of their heads. You get the point.

I can’t say all companies are like that — as I said, I was a go-go dancer myself and it worked out for me. But once a girl is in it, she sort of has to fake it if her boobs don’t pop up enough. (“How we fake it,” will be in my book!)

What upsets me is that 1) they do this all for men’s amusement; and 2) physical appearance rules over skills. This society is obsessed with pleasing men, WTF?! No offense to the good fellas, but I think it’s ridiculous how much emphasis is put on the male’s perspective. And, DAMN you, mainstream! I was home doing my workout once and a song by rapper Ludacris came up on my radio. The name of the song is “Southern Hospitality” and the lyrics are just… I mean, here’s the chorus that violated my ears:

All my women in the house if you chasing cash
And you got some big titties with a matching ass
With ya fly-ass boots or ya open toes
When ya get on the flow ([N-word] throw them ‘bows)

Of course, he replaces women with “hoes” in every other line, too.

“Big tits and a matching ass” though… The only thing I can say is that there is no place for a small girl in the hip hop world! (Thankfully?)

Going back to the dancing audition, dancing skills aren’t as important as looks when it comes to go-go dancing these days. “Looking for models” instead of dancers would be more appropriate wording. I think it’s a shame and totally unfair to real performers.

Hire dancers accordingly, nightclubs! Unless you’re a strip club, dancers don’t need large breasts to entertain an audience. They dance. Beauty counts, but I think most club-goers would also like to feel the energy, feel that they’re at a nightclub, not at a beauty contest.

Anyway, small-busted dancers out there, don’t let anything stop you! Beauty comes in all forms and shapes and it’s about time the entertainment industry gets it right.